UK holidaymakers heading to Europe this summer are being urged to help protect British farmers from Foot and Mouth disease by not bringing back meat and dairy products
Europe has seen a wave of cases impacting Hungary, Austria and Germany, and the UK Chief Vet is today (July 24th) urging the British public to comply with the rules, so we avoid a devastating outbreak like the one that was experienced in 2001.
Foot and Mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that can, in some cases, kill cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals. It can be carried in animal products – including meat, dairy products and some processed food. The virus can remain viable for months and can rapidly spread through contaminated objects and the movement of people.
It is illegal for travellers entering GB to bring with them untreated meat or dairy products including lamb, pork, mutton, venison and goat meat, and all other products made from these meats or containing them – such as sandwiches and sausages – from the EU, regardless of whether they are packed, packaged or have been bought at duty free.
This includes products such as cheese, chorizo, salami, serrano ham, pâté, yoghurt, butter, milk, and sandwiches containing any of the banned meats.
These strict rules were introduced due to the toll Foot and Mouth can have on the farming industry . An outbreak could result in the culling of large numbers of the country’s livestock and cost the UK economy billions of pounds in production shortfalls, lost trade and disease control. The outbreak in GB in 2001 is estimated to have cost £15 billion (in current prices) in disease control costs alone.
Biosecurity Minister, Baroness Hayman, said
Maintaining the integrity of our biosecurity against Foot and Mouth Disease is essential, and this updated control strategy reflects our strengthened approach to managing that risk. It reflects our clear determination to safeguard our borders.
We are asking the public to take this seriously. Do not bring prohibited animal or plant products into the country—doing so puts farmers livelihoods at risk.
UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said
Foot and Mouth disease has been recently circulating on the continent. The disease presents a significant risk to Britain’s food security and economy.
This highly contagious disease causes considerable suffering to livestock and has a devastating economic and personal impact on farmers, who lose their prized animals. I know it is disappointing not to be able to bring back produce from your holidays, but please avoid temptation – you will be doing your bit to help protect our hard-working farmers.
To further strengthen the country’s response to foot and mouth disease, the Government has today updated the Foot and Mouth Control Strategy for GB which will support the UK’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to an outbreak, protecting the livestock industry and rural economy. This is the first update in over a decade. This comes ahead of an exercise later this year to test Government preparedness. The updated framework provides information to help farmers protect their business and outlines how government will respond effectively to outbreaks.
Last month, the Government announced £1bn funding for a new investment programme to build a new National Biosecurity Centre – a cutting-edge scientific campus in Surrey that will serve as the UKs foremost animal biosecurity facility. This will better protect the public and farmers from animal disease by enhancing the country’s detection, surveillance and control capabilities for high-risk animal diseases, such as avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, and African swine fever, and enhance our ability to manage concurrent disease outbreaks.
Foot and mouth disease is a notifiable disease and must be reported. If you suspect foot and mouth disease in your animals, you must report it immediately by calling
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03000 200 301 in England
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0300 303 8268 in Wales
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your local Field Services Office in Scotland
ENDS
Notes to editors – current restrictions
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Travellers are currently banned from bringing all dairy products and some meats from the European Union (EU) into GB. These restrictions aim to prevent the introduction of FMD and other harmful animal diseases such as ASF, PPR and LSD.
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It is illegal for travellers entering GB (not Northern Ireland) to bring with them lamb, pork, mutton, venison and goat meat, and all other products made from these meats or containing them – such as sandwiches and sausages – from the EU, regardless of whether they are packed, packaged or have been bought at duty free.
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This includes products such as cheese, chorizo, salami, serrano ham, pâté, yoghurt, butter, milk, and sandwiches containing any of the banned meats.
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The current restrictions were introduced in April in response to rising cases of FMD in Europe, and to protect the health of British livestock, the security of farmers, and the UK’s food security. Restrictions on travellers bringing back certain meat and dairy products were already in place to curb the spread of ASF and PPR in Europe.
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Travellers are also banned from bringing any meat, meat products, milk or milk-based products into GB from countries outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
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Border Force will check for prohibited goods as part of customs checks. Travellers found with prohibited items must surrender them at the border or have them seized and destroyed. In serious cases, those found with such may be fined up to £5,000 in England or prosecuted across GB.
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The government continues to work closely with ports, airports and travel operators to raise awareness of the ban, including via prominent signage.
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The measures will stay in place until the personal import of affected products no longer poses a significant biosecurity risk to GB.
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The restrictions do not apply to travellers arriving into GB from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.
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The measures apply only to personal imports, e.g. goods that travellers bring back with them from holiday. Commercial food imports must undergo other biosecurity requirements, including heat treatments and accompanying export health certificates signed by official veterinarians to mitigate the risk of diseases, such as FMD, ASF, PPR and LSD.
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More information for travellers arriving from the EU can be found here https//www.gov.uk/bringing-food-into-great-britain/meat-dairy-fish-animal-products
